BY DEANNA HOYING AND SAL PRIZIO
When people think about the arts, they often imagine big-city museums or high-priced theaters. But in New Hampshire, the arts are woven into our daily lives in ways that are personal, local and essential.
In Portsmouth, Strawbery Banke Museum tells our shared history through immersive storytelling and heritage craft. The Colonial Theatres in Keene, Laconia and Bethlehem and the Rochester Opera House draw families and neighbors together for performances that entertain, inspire and connect. In Cornish, Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park celebrates sculpture, nature and history — all tucked into the hills of Sullivan County.
Across the Granite State, art is everywhere: in the murals that brighten Berlin’s downtown, in the craft fairs of Wolfeboro, and in the performances of students in local school theaters and gyms. In these places, the arts are not a luxury. They’re a lifeline to our economy, our identity and our collective well-being.
New Hampshire is one of the most rural states in the country, yet our arts infrastructure is remarkably strong and deeply rooted. In Peterborough, the MacDowell artist colony has welcomed world-renowned creators for over a century while staying grounded in the values of smalltown New England. The New London Barn Playhouse brings professional theater to a historic venue, entertaining locals and attracting visitors from across the region.
Community arts festivals — like the League of NH Craftsmen’s Fair at Mount Sunapee and Nashua’s International Sculpture Symposium — showcase talent and strengthen our local economies, bring people together and spark civic pride.
Arts education is a quiet force in New Hampshire, helping students build creativity, discipline and confidence. With support from the NH State Council on the Arts and dedicated educators, many schools bring in local artists, musicians and performers who light a lasting creative spark.
Arts therapy programs in hospitals, veterans’ centers and senior homes help people manage stress, grief and isolation. In communities like Claremont and Laconia, public art initiatives are transforming empty walls into vibrant storytelling canvases. Art helps people heal, and helps towns heal, too.
New Hampshire’s nonprofit arts sector generates over $3.4 billion annually in economic activity and supports thousands of jobs. Every concert ticket sold, painting purchased or play attended helps local businesses, from restaurants and hotels to printers and tech support.
But the true value of the arts isn’t just economic. It’s emotional. It’s cultural. It’s the memory of your child’s first piano recital. It’s the quiet moment you spent looking at a painting in a local café. It’s the laughter shared in the audience of a town theater.
New Hampshire’s motto, “Live Free or Die,” is often quoted in political debates, but it also speaks to our creative spirit. To live fully and freely is to express ourselves, to tell our stories, and to connect with others. The arts give us that freedom.
To keep that spirit alive, we must continue to invest in the organizations, educators and venues that make arts accessible to all, especially in rural and underserved communities. That includes public funding, private sponsorship and everyday support from individuals who attend performances, buy local art and speak up for arts education.
The arts in New Hampshire are for all of us. They are part of what makes our state not just livable, but lovable.
Let’s continue to nurture that creative heartbeat — for our kids, our communities and the generations to come.
Deanna Hoying is executive director of Symphony NH in Nashua. Sal Prizio is executive director of The Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.
